How fit are your fish?

Today’s market place is highly competitive, making it extremely important for aquaculture producers to stay naturally ahead. One way of doing this is to ensure that your fish and shrimp are as homeostatically fit as possible.

Maintaining homeostatic fitness includes controlling the many variables of aquaculture production. Measuring and managing environmental factors or the biological, chemical and physical factors related to water quality has become standard practice. New technologies promise to take this fitness to the next level. Thanks to advances in nutritional awareness and knowledge, and increased accessibility to raw materials from all around the world, diet formulations can now be more precise than ever before. At the same time, advances in technology have made a wide and exciting range of products available to producers. Such products can help overcome disease challenges, boost performance levels and ensure sustainability, all while being profitable. In this issue of Science & Solutions magazine, we revisit probiotic use. The rigorous processes involved in aquafeed manufacture previously restricted probiotic use, but post-pelleting technology now makes more widespread application possible. Benedict Standen explains why probiotics constitute such a valuable addition to the diet. Rui Gonçalves shares some results of the BIOMIN Mycotoxin Survey with you. He looks specifically at samples from Southeast Asia to dispel the myth that only aflatoxins are present in aquafeeds. Global trade of commodities has increased the range of mycotoxins found in this region, highlighting why it is so important to regularly check your feed for mycotoxin contamination. Today’s mycotoxin detection tools are quite reliable. However, some errors can and do occur—the majority of the total error in mycotoxin testing stems from improper sampling. If you are not sure how to take a good sample for mycotoxin analysis, read our guide on page 11.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Probiotics to Boost Immune Fitness and Gut HealthDespite growing trends in probiotic use, their application in aquafeeds has been constrained by the aggressive processes used during feed manufacture, which kill or maim heat-sensitive bacteria. Advances in post-pellet application and other technologies have overcome this constraint, enabling probiotics to deliver their benefits to the global aquaculture industry.

Fusarium Mycotoxins Continue to Threaten Southeast Asian AquacultureSamples of plant-based meals and finished feeds from Southeast Asia were analyzed for the BIOMIN Mycotoxin Survey. The results help explain why mycotoxin deactivation strategies are so important for optimizing aquaculture performance levels. When was the last time you checked your feed for mycotoxin contamination?